Abhijit Sadhale

My review of
Khamosh Pani

We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression

Confucious

The movie cast in shadow of dark period of partition, very effectively portray
struggle both in society and within individual.

The movie unfolds through story of young boy and girl in seemingly ‘quiet’
village in their fleeting romances which has nuance of happy times.
Interestingly, the setting for these moments is historical structure- ruins of
building and it does give one sense of hope that tomorrow will rise from
shadows of the past.

As the story develops, it moves beyond story of boy & girl and interplay of
shadow & light. What happens further is grim reminder that ‘Khamoshi’ has
devastating impact on both present & future.

As the plot thicken or let’s say darken-A man comes back searching for his long
lost sister, A Mother is trying to stifle her past in small closet yet hold on to it
very privately.A group trying to channelize society into ideological structure.

In between all these, a flashback of dark waters of well gives hint of horrors of
past and dark secrets it holds within. It is as if shadow of past has extended.

The dark water of well is well played metaphor. Not only has it hinted at
horrors of past but also at personal level of main character, her rejection of
death.

Yet in her rejection, she is aware of choice or inevitability of that moment

when she will have to embrace death. She lives life, in constant shadow of that
moment, yet living full each moment, trying to find meaning in new roles she
has taken.
 Abhijit Sadhale
The support created by society for her by helping her avoid going to well is the
key, when surrounding society removes that support she realizes she has to
face that moment. Again if the well is metaphor for harrowing past,neighbours
act of help her in avoiding contact with well is metaphor for society trying to
survive past.

In her acceptance of that moment when she takes plunge, her life story ends.
Yet it is not her defeat for she shows how one can live fully life find purity,
meaning in new forced circumstances even while accepting inevitability and
finality of historical events.

Mother shunned from public ceremonies, son discarding mother’s closet in

flowing water after her death is again metaphor for region/ society discarding
its rich history / legacy of common existence of different ethnic groups in
pursuance or surrender to extremist ideology.

The film ends by showing how both boy & girl accept changes in society each in
their own ways remaining ‘khamosh’ to tyranny of ideology.

I can sum up review in words of Martin Luther King( Jr )

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal “